Perth, Australia – In a subtle yet significant moment ahead of the first ODI between India and Australia at the Optus Stadium in Perth on Sunday, Virat Kohli, in a gesture that went largely unnoticed by the wider audience, prompted Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer to lead the team line during the national anthem. The move, witnessed by those present at the stadium and quickly picked up on social media, is being interpreted as a symbolic endorsement of the new leadership within the Indian squad.
The match marked the return of Kohli and Rohit Sharma to the ODI format for the first time since India's Champions Trophy victory in Dubai back in March. With Gill appointed as captain and Iyer as vice-captain, Kohli's gesture is seen as a sign of support for the younger players taking on leadership roles. Video footage circulating online shows Kohli in high spirits, interacting with teammates before calling Gill and Iyer forward to lead the team during the anthem.
The symbolic gesture occurred before a rain-affected match that saw Australia defeat India by seven wickets. India struggled to 136/9 in their 26 overs, a target Australia chased down with relative ease. The game was punctuated by multiple rain delays, which reduced the match's length and disrupted India's momentum.
While Kohli's gesture was well-received, his return to the crease was less auspicious, as he was dismissed for a duck. Rohit Sharma, playing in his 500th international match, also had a quiet day, scoring just 8 runs. The early dismissals of the two veterans contributed to India's batting woes, with only KL Rahul and Axar Patel offering some resistance. Debutant Nitish Kumar Reddy provided a late flourish with the bat, but it ultimately wasn't enough to set a competitive total.
Australia's Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood proved to be a handful for the Indian batsmen, taking early wickets and putting India on the back foot. Mitchell Marsh then guided Australia to victory with a solid batting performance.
Despite the loss, Shubman Gill praised his team's fighting spirit, particularly their efforts while defending a low score. "Never easy when you lose three wickets in the powerplay, you are always trying to play a catch-up game," Gill said after the match. "Lot of learnings from this game and a lot of positives. Defending 131, we took the game pretty deep and very satisfied with that".
The defeat has raised concerns about India's top-order batting, but Kohli's pre-match gesture suggests a team focused on building for the future, with senior players supporting the next generation of leaders. India will look to bounce back in the second ODI, which will be held in Adelaide on Thursday. The three-match series continues with the final game in Sydney on October 25.
